


There Might Be Something

by idcishipit



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Beware, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, M/M, No Smut, Probably ooc, Swearing, Temporary title probably, Underage Drinking, also summary is really bad, no update schedule, pls, tell if its too ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-07-03 01:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idcishipit/pseuds/idcishipit
Summary: When Nico's private love letters are received, he has to convince Percy he doesn't have feelings for him anymore, convince his sister he is dating Will Solace, and convince himself he isn't falling for Will. Hard.To All the Boys I've Loved Before AU*abandoned April 5, 2019*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the Percy Jackson series or To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Title taken from a song lyric in 'Between U and Me ft. Chris Cron by Neon Feathers
> 
> I read TATBILB a few years ago and just watched the Netflix movie and I had the urge to write this. I'm am so sorry if this seems too OOC. Please, please tell me if it is!

_Five years before_

Piper’s treehouse shrunk. Or rather, everyone else had grown and Nico had not.

He pulls his knees closer to his chest instead of bumping knees with Jason and Leo on either side. Even Leo had had a small growth spurt during the summer, leaving Nico as the youngest and smallest of the group. Still, fitting eight seventh graders and Nico into the treehouse was impressive.

“So,” Drew says, clapping her hands together, “we should play a game.”

Nico rolls his eyes, but the others readily agree, Piper eyeing her half-sister suspiciously, and Nico couldn’t blame her. Out of their group, Drew was the only one who looked more like a high school kid. Apparently, their mom encouraged them to wear and buy as many clothes as possible (Nico was pretty sure he never saw Drew wear the same thing twice) and leave a trail of broken hearts. While Drew embraced their mother’s advice, Piper ran the other direction, feathers in her hair and her jeans torn from skateboarding rather than design.

“How about spin the bottle?”

“Really, Drew?” Piper asks, annoyed.

If Frank wasn’t sitting on the trapdoor, Nico would already be scrambling down the tree. He had never played spin the bottle, but he knew enough to want to avoid it at all costs because what if it landed on Percy? What if he had to see someone else kiss Percy?

He tugs his legs closer and hopes no one remembers he’s there. Maybe he can squeeze out the window above his head.

“Yes, really. I’ll go first.” She pulls an empty root beer bottle off a shelf.

“Wait, wait, wait, what are the rules?” Will, Drew’s boyfriend asks.

Drew rolls her eyes hard enough Nico is surprised they don’t get stuck. “There are no rules, Will.” And then she spins the bottle.

It moves a few inches right on the worn carpet before landing on Piper. Will cocks an eyebrow. “You sure there aren’t any rules?”

With a huff, Drew kisses Piper on the cheek. They both wipe their faces. “No kissing on the lips if you’re related.”

Piper mutters something under her breath before grabbing the bottle. When it lands on Frank, she smiles at his blushing face before leaning forward and pecking his lips quickly.

Nico watches Jason clench his fist and then Frank as he takes his turn. As one of Jason’s best friends despite being two years younger, Nico knew firsthand how bad Jason had it for Piper. What Nico didn’t understand is how he didn’t know Piper liked him too, letting him have the last cherry soda when it was her favorite flavor.

Frank shakily kisses the corner of Annabeth’s mouth before stumbling back into his spot, red as a tomato. Annabeth glares at the bottle like it insulted her and spins it. It starts to slow, and it points directly at Nico.  

Suddenly his jacket is much too hot. He can feel heat flooding to his face. He meets Annabeth’s intense eyes before playing with his jacket sleeve. He knew everyone thought he had a crush on her, but he didn’t even like her. He can’t believe his first kiss was going to be with Annabeth Chase, Percy’s lifelong crush.

Strands of blonde fall over his jeans, standing out against the blue. When he looks up, her face is hiding everyone else from his view. She has a soft smile and closes her eyes while he keeps his open. She has really light eyelashes, he notices, before her lips barely touch his. He’s not even sure if it’s her mouth or her breath he feels.

When she crawls back to her spot, Percy is smirking at him and Jason offers a subtle fist bump. He ignores both and buries his face in his knees.

It’s a quiet a moment before Drew says, “You have to spin it, Nico.”

He peeks over and glares at her.

“Leave him alone,” Piper snaps.

“It’s against the rules!”

“I thought there was only one rule,” Frank mutters, and Nico silently promises to buy him a pack of Mythomagic cards with his next allowance.

“Fine,” Drew says, crossing her arms. “If he wants to be a baby about it, he doesn’t have to.”

“ _Drew.”_

Nico holds Drew’s stare as he spins the stupid plastic bottle. They glare at each other until Jason snorts. They both look down and the bottle is pointed directly at Will.

More blood rushes to his face, he probably rivals Frank now, but he grins cheekily at Drew.

Nico leans forward but the amusement shining in Will’s eyes is unmistakable. They’re a crazy blue, and Nico tries to line his mouth up with Will’s, so he doesn’t kiss his nose or something in front of all his friends.

Will’s lips are softer than Annabeth’s, and it lasts longer. Nico can feel Drew’s drop-dead glare as he pulls away. He squeezes back into his spot between Leo and Jason as Will takes his turn.

Kissing a boy was different. Nico doesn’t know how, but it was. He presses his face into his knees, hiding his smile.

 

***

_Now_

Nico could _not_ wait for high school to be over and it was only October. _And_ he was only a junior.

He drops his head onto the lab table and groans. Too early. It was much too early to be conscious. A hand pats his shoulder, but he doesn’t look up. He recognizes his sister’s touch. Her stool scrapes against the tile next to him.

“I have band practice tonight,” Hazel says, “so I’m getting a ride home with Frank.”

“’Kay.”

“We might go to the mall after, too.”

“Right.”

 “And then elope ‘cause I’m pregnant.”

Nico hums. “Name it after me.”

“Nico!”

He sighs and looks up. His sister is glaring at him, her golden eyes narrowed. She’d gotten a ride with Frank that morning, so Nico rode the bus alone, so he doesn’t know if she was wearing Frank’s hoodie before or if she stole it out of his locker again. Nico would never trust anyone but her with his combination.

“Shouldn’t you be in your room?” He asks. He was a year and a half older than her, and as smart as she was, she wouldn’t be allowed to take third year Religion as a freshman.

“I wanted to talk to you,” she says with a frown. “I feel like I don’t see you anymore.”

“That’s not my fault.”

He immediately winces. It wasn’t her fault she wanted to live her life. She didn’t have an obligation to hang out with her pathetic half-brother. And he liked Frank. He did. They were friends before he and Hazel started dating, and he approved of Frank, not that it mattered, and Hazel wouldn’t listen even if he didn’t.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” he apologizes.

She’s opening her mouth when the warning bell blares. She frowns again, annoyed at being cut off. She hops off her stole, her hair bouncing. “We’re talking about this-” she gestures to all of him, “-later.”

“What the hell does that mean?” He calls after her, but she only lifts a hand over her shoulder and dissolves into the mob outside the door.

Nico grumbles under his breath about little sisters and pulls out his notebook. He opens it to the most recent page and writes down the date before squiggling in the margins.

Other students start filing into the room, some saying hello to him like Annabeth while others jump onto his desk space, knocking his pencil to the floor.

“Can I help you?” Nico glares.

Jason drops his textbook next to him. “No one can help him, Nico. You know that.”

Leo holds a hand to his heart and looks mournful. “Jase, love of my life, my brother in all, you wound me.”

“Truth hurts, man.”

Leo pouts, ignoring Nico’s attempts to push him off the desk onto the floor. The guy was his size, but if he didn’t want to be moved, he wasn’t going anywhere, much to the chagrin of many of their female classmates and Nico.

“Will you go to your own seat?” Nico snaps.

“Yes, Mr. Valdez, please sit in your own seat before Nico sends you to Hades,” Mr. Brunner says, wheeling behind his desk. To Nico’s annoyance, Leo hops right down and jumps onto his own stool.

Shuffling his papers, Brunner lets the class quiet down on its own. Or tries. Out of all of Nico’s classes, this one was the most ADHD dense. It was a small miracle when only one set of feet or hands were tapping out a beat.

“So,” he starts loudly, “what can you tell me about the Greek gods?”

 

***

 

Nico just opens his bagged lunch when Hazel drops on the bench next to him.

“Piper, you’re here. Good. I’m going to need your help.”

They and Piper are the only ones at their table because the rest were either in the lunch line, or in Annabeth’s case, in the library for student counsel.

“With?” Piper asks, setting down her wrap.

“With Nico’s love life.”

“What?”

Nico chokes on his water and Hazel thumps him on the back.

“What?” He coughs out.

He didn’t _have_ a love life, and Hazel knew that better than anyone. Besides Jason and Reyna, she was the only one he told about Percy. He was pretty sure everyone knew he was gay, and it wasn’t a big deal in their school unlike out in the real world, and despite there being other gay kids it didn’t mean Nico wanted any of them or that they wanted him. Therefore, no love life.

“You need to get laid.”

Nico chokes again as Piper covers her mouth to contain her laughter. Hazel was Nico’s little sister, yes, but she was as innocent as they came, and he did _not_ need her talking about his sex life or sex in general in his presence.

“Can you not?” He asks, relieved to spot Percy, Jason, and Leo messing around at the end of the line. Leo’s trying to lift Percy, failing spectacularly to Percy’s amusement if his grin is anything to go by.

Nico looks away and meets Hazel’s eyes instead. To his horror, they’re sincere.

“Why do you hate me?”

“Stop it,” she scolds. “I’m serious, Nico! Okay, maybe you don’t need to get laid, but wouldn’t it be fun to go on a date? Or take someone to the ski retreat? Prom?”

“I don’t ski,” he says, picking at his Cheetos. “Or dance.”

“That doesn’t matter, and you know it. You can still have fun with person you’re with. Piper?”

The girl takes a bite of her apple, looking considerate before nodding. “I think if you’re with the right person then almost anything can be fun.”

Nico points at her with a Cheeto, “You’re not helping, and you,” he points at his sister, “you know I don’t like people.”

Hazel rolls her eyes. “You like people, you’re just not a people person.”

“Exactly.”

She rolls her eyes again as Annabeth takes a seat with her salad and a library book. “Annabeth, isn’t your life better with Percy in it?”

“I got Sally out of it, so yes,” she says, her nose in the book. Nico snorts.

Hazel huffs in response and stands. “Fine. Don’t find someone. I was just trying to help.”

Nico watches her leave, heart sinking. He didn’t like hurting her, but it was hard to explain that after Bianca and his mom, he didn’t want to open himself up to anyone again. She was the only exception.

But she knew he was working on it and as she said, she was just trying to help.

Damn it all.

He shoves his empty Cheetos’ bag into the brown one, tossing it in the trash before making his way over to Hazel. She was sitting with some of the students her own age and Frank’s friends. He sits next to her with his back to the table.

“I know what you’re trying to do, but I don’t need somebody to make me happy.”

“Oh, Nico,” she says, swinging a leg over the bench to face him completely. “I know that. I just think if you’re sharing your happiness with someone, it makes things easier.”

_And then they can take that happiness with them when they leave_ , he thinks.

She must read it in his face, she’s always been so good at reading him, because she reaches out and squeezes his hand.

“Hey Frank!”

Will Solace, Nico’s first kiss, captain of the high school archery club, and future doctor, jogs between the lunch tables toward them. Because the world hated Nico, or maybe the Fates Brunner talked about in class, it decided to present Nico with one of his only two crushes on the day Hazel decided to bother him about dating and feelings.

It really wasn’t fair that he could look so good. Sure, Nico could admit to himself that Will was cute in middle school, but he’d grown into his golden looks. Nico knew that along with archery, Will surfed during the summer so his Californian looks had a beach body to match.

“Hey Hazel! Nico, long time, no talk! How are you?”

Nico nearly squints at his brilliant smile. “Fine.”

Will cocks a blonde eyebrow, making it disappear into his bangs, “Fine? I haven’t talked to you in like two years and all I get is ‘fine’?”

Hazel comes to his rescue and smiles. “Ignore him. He’s in a bad mood.”

So much for rescuing. Nico glares at her.

Will laughs. “Sounds about right,” he says, causing Nico to redirect his glare, but Will is already turned away and talking to Frank about yesterday’s archery practice and their upcoming competition.

He listens to them for a moment before saying goodbye and heading back to his own table. When he sits down, Percy is throwing tater tots into Leo’s mouth and Piper is keeping score on her phone.

“Where’d Annabeth and Jason go?”

“They said something about display cases,” Percy answers, aiming at Leo carefully. It bounces off the smaller boy’s chin.

Nico nods distractedly. He’s watching Drew march across the cafeteria at Will, jaw clenched. They’re too far away to hear what they’re saying, but Will’s face flushes as he starts talking back. Piper follows his gaze and groans.

“Not again. I’m never going to get any sleep,” she laments, “‘Will this, Will that.’ Just leave the poor boy alone for heaven’s sake and MOVE ON.”

She shouts the last part at the couple still arguing, but Drew must hear because she whips her head around and glowers in their general direction.

“I swear she doesn’t even like him,” Piper continues, “She just keeps him around because he’s hot and will make a fortune as a doctor.”

“No. I’m done.” Drew says, or projects as a hush falls over the cafeteria. She struts away to her group of friends, leaving Will standing in the middle of the room, all eyes on him. He looks confused and then shoves his hands in his pockets, moving toward the doors leading to the hallway.

“Or maybe not.” Piper says.

Although Nico’s not good at emotions, he’s not emotionally blind enough to miss the spark in Will’s blue eyes as he walks by. He keeps watching Will as he pushes open the doors and disappears, feeling something in his gut that has absolutely no right to be there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue? Dialogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and leaving comments and kudos! They make my day!

The only difference between Friday and Monday are the rumors swirling about Will and Drew.

Some say Will slept with someone else (not unlikely) and others said Drew was seeing a new guy from the community college (likely) and others were saying Drew was already regretting the breakup. Even Nico’s friends were talking about it, mostly because Piper did, in fact, not get any sleep over the weekend.

Nico watches her stab a piece of broccoli in her stir fry with the force to shake their trays. Jason eyes her warily but it’s Leo who comments.

“Geez, beauty queen, have some respect for Buford,” he says, patting the table.

Piper levels the fork at his eyes, narrowing her own. “If you call me that one more time, this fork is going in your eyeball, Valdez.”

“Alright,” Jason says, pushing the fork back down into the rice, “that’s enough of that. Pipes, you can’t kill Leo.”

“You don’t need an eye to live,” she mutters. Nico has to fight down a smile.

He doesn’t realize Percy’s standing at the foot of the table until he clears his throat.

Nico’s rarely seen Percy nervous except when he was thinking about asking Annabeth on a first date. Now his eyes flicker back and forth, focusing on nothing and twitching his fingers. He still has a backpack on, and now Nico thinks about it, he hadn’t seen Percy the entire morning.

“What’s up, Perce?” Jason asks.

Percy ignores him. “Can I talk to you for a second, Nico?”

He nods and stands. As Percy leads him out of the cafeteria, a list of everything he’s done the past week runs through his head.

They’re not far down from the doors when Percy stops suddenly and turns on his heel. He takes a deep breath and stands taller.

Nico is about to talk when he begins, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I guess it makes sense. I mean it does. I just always thought it was Annabeth, you know? Yeah, I know how awful that sounds heteronormative and everything, but I just thought it because everyone else did too.” He chuckles. “No one ever accused me of being bright.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I get it and wow, that was conceited, man, Annabeth would be proud I used that word, and I don’t think of you any differently.”

He looks at Nico openly, but Nico’s brain is spinning a mile a minute trying to gather all Percy’s words and make them make sense.

“Percy, what in the hell are you talking about?”

Nico watches him frown and swing his backpack over his shoulder. “I haven’t told anyone, even Annabeth. I skipped morning classes to think about everything, I don’t know why, I just needed to- here. I mean I don’t think I need it anymore. I mean it was a really nice letter and all but...Nico?”

In his outstretched hand is a blue envelope, one Nico recognizes without a second thought because his twelve-year-old self had taken so damn long to pick the right hue of blue that Bianca had claimed to nearly lose her mind if she heard that one ad jingle over the store PA one more time-

And he spent so long carefully addressing it in his neatest handwriting to match the letter inside. He had practiced on a scrap piece of paper a dozen times to get each letter and number just right and then put it in his mother’s jewelry box under his bed, never to be seen or read.

And it is so, so obviously opened.

“I-”

When he can’t anymore words out, Percy asks almost too gently, “Do- do you still like me that way?”

That jolts Nico’s brain. “No! No. I don’t. I just... did you get that in the mail?”

Percy nods. “It must’ve come Saturday, and I didn’t look through the pile until this morning for college stuff.”

Nico nods slowly, his brain working so fast he can’t keep up.

“Nico, seriously, it’s fine if you still...feel that way.”

“I don’t.”

But Percy looks unconvinced and Nico would willingly punch him in the face if the black orb-like camera wasn’t right above them.

“Hey, Nico!”

Nico spins around at the sound of Will Solace’s voice. He’s heading right toward them, a hesitant smile on his lips and a yellow envelope in hand.

He steps up next to Nico just as Percy says, “Will, hey, now isn’t really the be-”

Nico underestimates how tall Will is. He nearly kisses his chin before he manages to get on to his toes.

Will tastes like Sunny D. Nico grabs his shoulder to keep himself standing straight, eyes shut tightly to keep reality at bay and in hopes that when he opens them this will all be a bad dream.

Or a very good dream as Will kisses back.

He pulls away in shock. Nico looks between Will and Percy. If someone were to walk up to them they’d probably think they were all struck dumb.

“Uh-” Will starts.

“See,” Nico’s mouth runs on its own. “Definitely don’t. See you later.”

He grabs Will’s hand and drags him into the nearest boy’s bathroom before locking the door and pressing his forehead against the cool wood.

Nico keeps his eyes shut as Will checks the stalls, wondering what the hell he’s supposed to do now.

“Are you okay? You look a little green.”

“This is the worst day ever.”

“Okay, wow,” Will says, stepping away. “Way to hurt a guy’s ego, di Angelo.”

Nico turns and leans against the door with his arms crossed over his stomach. “Whatever happened out there didn’t happen.”

“Except it did. In front of Percy Jackson.”

Nico rubs his hands over his face, wishing he could rewind the last five minutes. Screw what he thought earlier; this was a nightmare.

Percy’s astonished face flashes in front of him again and he winces. It did happen.

And Will’s eyebrows are doing that scrunch thing they do when he’s confused. “So, are you going to explain why we just made out in front of one of the most popular guys in school or do you need to puke first?”

Nico glares at the blonde but Will’s expression is sincere, and that makes it so much worse. They hadn’t spoken in a few years, but Will had always been nice to Nico when they were younger and was all around a good guy, even if his personality could be overbearing. 

He definitely didn’t need Nico dragging him into his problems. And here he was, not screaming at Nico for basically attacking him in the hallway. Yet. 

“Listen,” Nico starts, “I don’t know how you got those letters, but no one was ever supposed to read them. Ever. Not you, not Percy, not me.”

“So, you didn’t write this?” Will’s brow furrows. 

“No, I did.”

“But you can’t read it?”

Nico lets out a frustrated noise. “That’s not the point. No one was ever supposed to read it.”

“Right. Okay, I was never supposed to know this existed, but it’s addressed to me and now I have it and I’ve read it. What does that have to do with making out in front of Percy?”

It would’ve been so much easier if Will was yelling at him. The bewilderment on his face isn’t helping anything at all. Nico doesn’t want to explain his crush on Percy to a stranger who he also had a crush on at one point, and apparently kept track of enough to know about his confused eyebrows. God. 

Nico takes a steadying breath, telling himself that maybe Percy won’t say anything to anyone and he’ll never have to think about this ever again. 

“I... I went to therapy after my sister died.” Will nods. He was at the funeral. “One of the things they made me do was write letters to people and tell them... about my feelings.” Nico almost chokes on the word. “They were for me. They weren’t supposed to be seen by anyone. But somehow you and Percy have them and Percy thought I still felt that way about him and you came up with your letter and I panicked so I kissed you to prove I’m over him and now we’re in the bathroom.

“I wrote that like two years ago; I don’t even remember what’s in it,” he lies, hoping the bathroom tile will open up and swallow him. He knows he said Will was  _fucking_ sunshineand all kinds of other embarrassing things.

And Will  _read_  it. His reputation is done for.

Will stares down at the letter. He had opened it more carefully than Percy, the envelope popped up rather than torn. Nico’s handwriting had improved little between sixth and eighth grade. 

Nico watches him bite his lip, turning the envelope over in his hands. “Is Percy going to think we’re dating or just that you snog random people in the hallway?”

“Did you just say ‘snog’?”

Will blushes. “Shut up.”

“We didn’t ‘snog,’ and Percy won’t say anything.”

“What if he does?”

“He won’t,” Nico snaps. 

The bell rings in the hallway and the sound of chaos leaves the cafeteria, echoing around them. 

Will looks at him intensely before walking past and unlocking the door. Nico runs a hand over his face and follows.

No one is whispering as he walks by or looks at him funny in his classes, so he thinks that maybe Percy did keep his mouth shut.

Until last period.

Everyone already has their sketch pad out to do the daily assignment when Hazel hurries in, frazzled. She apologizes and then falls into the seat next to him.

She lasts about twenty seconds.

“What?” Nico asks after she pokes him with her pencil for the third time. 

“You kissed  _Will Solace?_   _Are you insane?_  Drew is going to murder you!”

Nico’s pen flies across the page, leaving a dark, thick line.

“Who said that?” He hisses.

Her eyes search his own. “Percy looked like he saw a ghost in pre-Calc, so I asked him what was wrong, and he just spilled about you kissing Will in the hallway at lunch?”

Nico forces down some vomit and the urge to murder. Out of everyone that Percy had the opportunity to talk to, it had to be his sister. 

“Um,” he says. 

Hazel leans closer, “Are you and Will seeing each other? Is that why he and Drew broke up?” Instead of looking angry, she looks hurt. “Why did you tell Percy before me?”

“I didn’t tell Percy anything!”

“Then you are seeing each other!” Hazel claps her hands together, a bit of hurt still in her eyes but quickly disappearing under joy. “Oh, Nico!”

Nico hushes her. “You’re talking too loud!”

“Sorry! Is it a secret because of Drew?”

He looks at his sister. He hasn’t seen her this ecstatic since her first date with Frank. She was so important to him, always was, but especially after Bianca. Hurt her or lie? He did like Will. How couldn’t he? The guy had always been nice, and he reminded Nico of sunshine and warmth, even when he was at the front of the class and Nico was in the back row. 

“Yeah, I like him,” Nico says quietly. 

“Nico!” She grabs his arm and shakes it. “I’m so excited for you! We’ll have to have him over for dinner.”

“Wait-”

“Please? It can be a double-date. Frank already hangs out with him all the time and Dad and Persephone are out of town for that garden festival thing.”

“I don’t-” Nico tries, starting to panic.

She deflates. “Sorry. I told you I wouldn’t push, but why did you say you didn’t want to go prom or skiing with someone if you liked Will””

“He was with Drew,” he tries.

Hazel nods sagely. “Of course. Forget anything I said about dinner. I’m happy for you, Nico. But don’t think I’m not pestering you when we get home,” she grins. 

Nico watches her start running her pencil lightly across the page, eager to get back to making her jewelry. He’s never had a migraine, but he feels one coming on. He sighs. 

“I’ll ask him.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll ask Will about dinner.”

Hazel throws her arms around him and the art teacher looks at them. “Thank you, brother!”

“Sure. Anything for you, Hazel.”

 

 ***

 

He sits on the bleachers in the gym after art. The smell of rubber and sweat reminds him of how happy he was when he finished PE forever after freshman year. Exercising on his own was a lot less humiliating than dodgeball.

The Apollo Archers just finishing up their practice. Nico wonders if the name was made up after some of the kids took Brunner’s class. 

Frank sends him a wave and questioning look as he leaves that Nico halfheartedly returns. He starts to debate with himself on whether he could get away with suing the mailman for distress when Will takes down the targets, Kayla carrying them in her arms. Nico knows immediately when Will spots him because he stiffens and walks away from his sister. 

The bleaches shake as Will jogs up them to Nico’s spot. They study each other for a moment. 

“I’m guessing you’re not here to join the Apollos’?”

Nico snorts. “No. I’m here to ask you a favor. Two, actually.”

Will crosses his arms and cocks an eyebrow. 

“Percy told Hazel that we kissed, and don’t say ‘I told you so’ or whatever you’re thinking.”

The other eyebrow shoots up, but he says nothing. 

“And now Hazel wants you to come to dinner sometime this week with her and Frank. And me,” he gets out. 

“Why?”

Nico meets his eyes. They’re a startlingly blue and studying Nico closely. He fights the urge to squirm in his seat. He was used to people not looking at him or avoiding eye contact.

“Because I love her and don’t want to disappoint her by saying I randomly made-out with one of our old friends, so I told her you and Drew broke up because we liked each other and now she wants to have a double-date.”

“So, you lied to her?” Will asks, his ears reddening. 

“No! I just- she’s been pressuring me to date and this was a way to get her off my back for a while.”

“And your solution is for us to fake-date? Like a bad TV trope?”

Nico runs a hand through his hair. “One. One dinner date and then we say we hate each other and never talk again.”

“I don’t have you though, and I don’t want to lie to Frank and Hazel. They’re my friends,” Will frowns.

“Then we say we it didn’t work and then it won’t be a lie for either of us. Go back to dating Drew, I don’t care. Just help me make Hazel happy for a little bit.”

Will’s face pinches and Nico’s stomach sinks. Now he’d have to make up a reason why Will didn’t want to go to dinner and make up a reason for why they weren’t together anymore. 

“Fine.”

“What?”

“I said ‘fine.’”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” Will gives a quick grin. “Besides, it will get Drew off  _my_  back. What’s the other favor?”

Nico offers a quick thanks to God or gods or whoever controls the universe for Will freakin’ Solace and his charity. 

“Nico?”

He shakes himself, “Yeah?”

“What’s the other favor you wanted?”

“Can I get a ride home? I missed my bus.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and again, if it's too OOC, please let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! College is stressful and busy, so there's not a strict update schedule, but this work won't be abandoned. I'm determined to finish all my WIPs before I start something new again.

 

Will’s car is an eyesore, but it’s all Nico’s got. At least it’s not the sticky school bus.

He straps on his seatbelt as Will fiddles with the radio, and when he smacks the dashboard, Nico looks at him.

“What? Sometimes it doesn’t work.”

Nico just shakes his head and starts to go over all the choices in his life that led him to this moment, why he had to ride in the vehicle equivalent of a smiley face.

“I think we should clear somethings up if we’re going to do this,” Will starts.

The ticking of the blinker fills the silence before Nico finally answers. “Like what?”

“Like how long have we been dating?”

“We’re not dating. We’re going to dinner, and Drew broke up with you like four days ago.”

“Same difference,” Will says, stopping at a light and turning to look at his passenger. “You said Drew and I broke up because we liked each other which means there’s backstory. So, what is it?”

“You’re too enthusiastic about this,” Nico accuses.

“You’re not enthusiastic enough about dating me.”

“We’re not dating!”

“Your sister doesn’t know that,” Will says, his lips twitching.

Nico realizes Will’s trying to rile him and glares. “Stop.”

“Stop what?” Will struggles for a moment before he has a full-blown grin on his face. “I don’t know what you mean, di Angelo.”

“This is never going to fool Hazel. I hate you too much.”

“Nah, you love me,” he grins.

Nico looks out the window, his cheeks beginning to burn as Will pulls forward again. The stones along the side of the road blur together as they speed by.

Staying after school and the anticipation of talking to Will made Nico completely forgot about his father and Persephone.

He nearly groans when he spots their cars in the driveway. They usually got home an hour after Nico now, something about family bonding, and he had completely forgotten.

Nico tugs his backpack out of the back seat before Will even puts the car in park. “Bye, I guess-”

“Nico!”

He winces but grabs Will’s arm as he starts to turn toward his father. Will looks down at Nico’s hand in surprise and Nico quickly let’s go as if he’s been burned.

“Nico!” His father calls again, coming closer to the car. And Will.

“Leave,” is all Nico says before slipping out of the car and shutting the door. He tries to not feel bad about cutting Will off.  _It’s for his own good_ , Nico thinks.

“Hi, Dad,” he says, not hearing Will backing out.

“Who’s your friend?” Hadley stands on his toes to look in the jeep even though he’s taller than Nico.

“No one. Is Hazel home?”

“You never bring anyone over besides Jason. Persephone!”

Nico protests, “Leo and Piper came over! And Jason and Percy!”

Hadley falls back onto his feet. “They trampled your stepmother’s petunias. They were lucky not to be buried in the flower beds.”

“They would have made excellent fertilizer,” Persephone says, wiping her gardening gloves on her pants. “What is it dear?”

“Nico’s brought home a friend, or rather a friend brought him home.”

Persephone perks up immediately and Nico groans. They had gotten along better in recent years, but he swears she is far too invested in embarrassing him.

When she waves behind him, he spins around.

Will is still sitting in the driveway, watching them nervously through the tinted windshield. Nico bites back a curse and glowers at him. Will’s eyes only flicker over to him for a moment before going back to his parents.

“He’s no one.”

Persephone gives him an unimpressed look.

The distinct sound of a car door opening makes Nico wish the earth would crack beneath his feet.

He deliberately avoids looking at Will or Hadley’s wide grin. Will stands next to him, wringing his hands together. Nico’s glare falters for a second. He’s never seen Will uncertain until today.

Interesting.

Persephone pulls off her gloves and sticks a hand out. “Hello, I’m Persephone, Nico’s stepmom.”

“And I’m Hadley, his father.”

“Will!” Hazel runs out the front door with her hair threatening to break out of its ponytail. She skids to a stop in the wet grass, a little breathless. “How are you? Are you here for dinner?”

Now Nico wishes an asteroid will hit the planet, preferably right where he’s standing. He clenches the straps of his backpack.

“Uh, no,” Will stumbles. “No, not tonight. I have a lot of homework.”

It’s a lame excuse but Nico’s grateful for it all the same.

Hazel’s smile doesn’t even twitch. “Frank said he was free Friday, does that work for you?”

Will glances at Nico. “Sure?”

“Friday works for us too,” Hadley says, “We can have a family dinner.”

Nico’s heart is suddenly tight. Very tight.

“No one asked me if I was busy Friday,” he gets out.

Persephone rolls her eyes. “Friday would be wonderful. Now if you excuse me, I want to clear these vines before it gets dark. Will, you’re welcome anytime.”

Nico has to restrain his own hand to stop himself from gesturing rudely at her back.

Hadley looks between the two boys and Hazel keeps smiling. “You can always work on your homework here, Will.”

Will takes a step back. “Um, thank you, but my mom is expecting me home,” he glances at Nico, “I’ll see you Friday though?”

Nico narrows his eyes at Will but knows he can’t protest because he got Will into this mess.

Nico’s father frowns but quickly smiles again, looking pleased. “Of course. Tell her we said ‘hello.’”

“Will do,” Will says, his eyes still on Nico. Nico’s not sure what he’s looking for, so he waves halfheartedly.

Will nods, fumbling with his keys before slipping back into the car and reversing. The three remain in the driveway, watching the yellow Jeep disappear behind some trees.

Before his father or sister can say a word, Nico all but runs to the door and up the stairs. He locks his door and throws his bag in a spare chair he can’t remember buying.

Nico immediately drops to his knees next to his bed. He didn’t own much, so the jewelry box is easy to spot beneath the bed frame. He pulls it out carefully.

It’s a very simple thing. The most elegant part of the box is the polished wood and the burned initials on its lid.

The bronze hinges barely make a sound as Nico lifts the lid. He knows the letters are gone. He doesn’t know what Percy did with his, most likely in a school garbage bin, and Will will probably burn it now he had to spend an evening with the Lethe-Morana-di Angelo-Levesque household.

But his old photos still rest in their corner, dulled and crinkled with age, but safe. He wonders what his mother and Bianca would think about the whole Will situation.

Nico gently slides it back under the bed and sits back on his heels.

 _What the fuck is wrong with you?_ He asks himself.

He doesn’t have an answer.

 

***

Will Solace was definitely the kind of person to have a million social media accounts, and Facebook is one of them.

Nico unfortunately has to make his own because neither he or Will thought to exchange phone numbers.

Will’s profile picture is a selfie with another blinding smile, his eyes nearly crinkled shut, but it’s his other photos that manage to catch Nico’s eye.

The profile picture seems to be the only photo taken by Will. All the others have him with arms slung around others, some Nico vaguely recognizes from the halls and assemblies, but others are young kids or the elderly. One woman has her bright red lips pressed against Will’s burning cheek.

Before he can click farther back, Nico sends Will a quick message.

 

_You can back out_

The response comes nearly immediately.

_What?_

 

Nico’s halfway through typing when Will sends a friend request.

 

He stares at the ‘accept’ and ‘decline.’

 

_You said you’d have dinner with Hazel and Frank not my father and stepmother._

_It’s fine they seem nice_

_It’ll be fun to see how you and your dad are alike_

_I don’t remember him well but I’m sure you didn’t get your moody teenage angst from him_

_Or your mom_

_Bianca and Hazel are way nicer than you_

_Screw you_

_Touchy._

 

He’s about to respond with something probably stupid when his screen lights up with a picture of Superman with Jason’s face photoshopped over Clark Kent’s.

“Hello?”

_“Why did Facebook just recommend you as a friend? When did you get a Facebook? Why didn’t you tell me?”_

“Don’t cry, Grace. I needed to talk to someone and didn’t have their number.”

_“You’re going to keep it though, right?”_

“I didn’t plan on it.”

_“You have to, Nico.”_

Nico narrows his eyes at the wall. “Why?” He asks suspiciously.

_“Because I told Percy and Piper and they’re so excited.”_

“I didn’t realize your new name was ‘Percy and Piper.’”

 _“Nico!”_  He smirks at the slight whine in Jason’s voice. He prided himself on the fact that he was one of the few people who could draw it out of the the older boy. “ _Please?”_

He sighs, leaning against his mattress. “Fine but I won’t look at it.”

Jason laughs. “ _That’s what you think. You’ll be checking it as much as the rest of us.”_  There’s a slight sound in the background and Jason says something away from the phone.  _“I got to go: Thalia’s home and we’re going out to eat. See you in Brunner’s!”_

“Bye.”

When Nico’s screen returns to his home screen, there’s a little red bubble next to the blue app with an even tinier white ‘11’ in it.

 

***

 

After dinner, Hazel keeps her promise. He’s lounging on his bed with a book when she jumps on next to him, shaking the entire bed frame.

They’re both already in their pajamas, Nico in sweats and an old T-shirt and Hazel with her silky purple set. She crosses her legs and eyes him expectantly.

He raises an eyebrow at her even though he knows she’s come to pester as promised. Maybe he should’ve let Will come up with a backstory.

“Can I help you?”

She shoves him slightly, “Tell me everything!”

“About what?”

“Nico di Angelo, you know exactly what. I’m your little sister and if you don’t tell me right now I will find out.  _And_  I told you about Frank and me when we started dating. You have two minutes while I brush my teeth.”

“You told me about it before you started dating,” he mutters as she hurries out. He had wanted to die when Hazel started going on about Frank’s eyes and oh sweet demeanor.

He digs his phone out of his pocket and sends a quick message off to Will. Nico hadn’t accepted his friend request yet because Will would probably do the relationship status thing as soon as he did. He’s not sure he’ll survive that.

_Did you tell anyone how we got together?_

_No_

_Kayla wants to know why you were at practice but I said you had a question about calc_

_Good cz Hazel wants to know how we started dating._

_I told you we should’ve have a backstory_

_Shut up. I’ll make one up and tell you later_

_Text me tonight so I can tell anyone who asks tomorrow. I’m sure if Percy told Hazel then other people will know too_

_Make sure you tell her how romantic I am_

_How I swept you off your feet_

_Oooh and tell her how great I am at archery_

_She would know I was lying_

_:(_

_< /3_

 

The little broken heart has him typing out an apology. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows Will works, volunteers, and is on the honor roll and being captain of the Apollo Archers team just tops the pile. If Will was willing to spend his few remaining free hours in a smelly gym, it was probably important.

He just presses ‘send’ when his sister hurries back to her spot next to him, but instead of sitting, she lies down, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hair pricks his ear.

“Start at the beginning.”

Nico almost sighs.

He tells her about spin the bottle back in fifth grade, how even though Will was his first kiss, he still liked Percy. He deliberately leaves out the love letters he wrote after Bianca’s death and says he was partnered with Will once in their shared math lab session and he got a crush on him then.

It wasn’t a lie, unfortunately, but it wasn’t the truth either. After that math lesson Bianca died and it didn’t matter. Nothing had for a long time.

He tries to quickly come up with a backstory, one to tell Hazel and Will, but all he comes up with is: “It kind of just happened.”

His sister, bless her soul, just nods. “And then Drew found out about it,” she adds in, like she’s helping him create the story, “Poor Piper.”

Nico nods absently, thinking of all the lies he’s spinning around the people closest to him, the ones who pulled him away from the dark edge after Bianca was killed, and wonders if he’ll get through this without being pushed off the edge by them.

 

***

_You and Will Solace are now friends!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I named Hades Hadley. Deal with it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *squints* is this...is this an actual update?
> 
> Hello! I am a poor, sad, busy senior in college so I can't update as often as I would like. I promise I'm not abandoning any works, but there is no update schedule. I haven't written in awhile and it will take me time to get into the flow again so please forgive me if the next couple of chapters aren't too great! <3

Nico’s on the brink of consciousness when he already decides to murder whoever is honking the horn outside his window.  
  
If it was Valdez, he was going to kill him twice.  
  
He blinks blearily at the strip of light crossing over the floor before stumbling to his window where the sun is already penetrating the heavy curtains. He shoves them aside only to pull them shut again at the blazing roof of Will’s Jeep.  
  
It only takes a him a moment to throw on a pair of jeans and his jacket before he opens the front door. In his quick journey to the door he could already tell the house was empty. Hazel must have left with Frank and his parents were probably on their way to the garden show thing they went to annually but none of that explains what Will Solace is doing in his driveway with his yellow monstrosity.  
  
He stops at the driver’s side window and waits for Will to roll it down before asking, “What are you doing.”  
  
Will’s eyes are much too bright for being so early. There’s not even a hint of sleep in them as he smiles widely.  
  
“Good morning, sunshine.”  
  
“There’s nothing good about it. Why are you here?”  
  
The interior of the car is much cleaner than last night though the outside still has dried mud splattered in the tires from their last snowfall. He can feel the heat escaping into the chill morning.  
  
“I thought you’d like a ride. We’re dating now,” he shrugs, “so I thought it’d be fine. Is Hazel here?”  
  
“No,” It comes out a bit harsh, so he adds, “I think she already left with Frank.”  
  
“I had a whole speech ready to go, too. Oh, well. Did you eat yet? ‘Cause we have time to go to grab something small. There’s a small coffee place on the way with good bagels.”  
  
Nico opens his mouth to say no, he did not want to go to breakfast because his bus won’t arrive for another hour and a half when his stomach lets out a fantastic groan they can both hear over the sound of the car’s engine.  
  
Will’s grin morphs into a smirk as Nico fights down the blush he feels warming his cheeks. He trudges back inside to grab his backpack and a pair of fingerless gloves before climbing back in the car. It’s cleaner than yesterday.  
  
They’re on the road when Will speaks again, his eyes on the road rapidly turning white. “You’re going to love this place. They have the best pancake stack ever.”  
  
Nico rolls his eyes and tugs on a thread hanging from his gloves.  
  
A radio host blabbers on about some product he swears works wonders but Nico tunes him out and sneaks glances at Will who is still singing the last pop song under his breath.  
  
His hair pokes itself out from under his hat in soft gold curls, seemingly fighting gravity as it floats back up to avoid the collar of his ridiculous full ski coat. It even has the weird little plastic card holder on its zipper still.  
  
Now Nico eyes Will’s hands gripping the wheel and wonders if the callouses on his hands are from archery, skiing, or both.  
  
He shoves that thought back into the dark tunnel it jumped out of and slams the lid shut. Then he throws the realization he knows about callouses on Will Solace’s hands into a deep pit where he doesn’t have to deal with it.  
  
Will pulls off the highway into a small gravel parking lot of an even smaller restaurant that Nico has passed before but never given a second thought too. A neon sign above the door blinks ‘OPEN’ as they walk through, dinging a tiny bell.  
  
He shoves his hands into his jacket despite the warmth of the diner and follows Will to a corner booth. The seat squelches as he sits down and immediately the sound of plastic menus follows as the waitress drops them on the linoleum table.  
  
“Oops, sorry boys. Who’s this, Will?”  
  
Will smiles. “My friend Nico. Nico, this is Becca. She used to babysit me.”  
  
Becca snaps her tongue and leans toward Nico. “I still have to watch out for him. Never know what he’s up to. Especially with that Lou and Cecil. I can’t blink without them being up to something with my eyes shut.”  
  
Behind Becca’s back, Will rolls his eyes but smiles anyway.  
  
“So,” Becca says, “the usual for Willy, and for you?”  
  
“Just a coffee. Black, thanks.”  
  
“Coming right up,” Becca taps Will on the head with her pen before heading back to the counter.  
  
Will frowns immediately after she’s gone. “Just a coffee?”  
  
“Willy?” Nico retorts automatically.  
  
Pink accentuates the few dark freckles across Will’s nose. “Don’t change the subject. You should at least have toast or something since all you eat for lunch are bags of cookies or chips.”  
  
“They sustain me.”  
  
Will gives him an unimpressed look.  
  
“What?”  
  
He shakes his head as Becca places Nico’s coffee down with a grin and an orange juice for Will. Nico grabs the sugar packets against the window and starts pouring them into the mug, watching it float to the bottom and spin when he starts stirring it.  
  
He looks up and Will is staring at him in horror. “What?” He repeats.  
  
“I thought you were small because of genetics but now I’m thinking you’re just malnourished. You really should eat better. It’s no wonder you sleep in Mr. D’s all the time.”  
  
“I do that to make him jealous.”  
  
“Uh-huh. Sure.”  
  
“I-”  
  
Becca drops a plate of the fluffiest looking pancakes Nico has ever seen in front of Will, and then she drops one in front of him too.  
  
“I didn’t order anything,” he tells her.  
  
She waves him off. “Any friend of Will’s is a friend of mine. Enjoy, boys.”  
  
Will is already cutting his pancakes up, “I thought I was going to make you try one of mine but now you don’t have an excuse not to.” He takes a bite and smiles at Nico, his cheeks stuffed.  
  
“That wouldn’t have worked. Only Hazel can make me do things I don’t want to do.” But he pours syrup over his stack, pointedly ignoring Will’s disapproving look. “You wanted me to eat, this is the best you’re going to get.”  
  
He’d rather die than to admit to Will how good the pancakes are. The butter and syrup seeps into the fluffy-ness perfectly.  
  
“They’re alright,” he shrugs, missing the self-satisfied smirk on Will’s face.  
  
“So,” Will starts while swirling his straw in his orange juice, “what did you end up telling Hazel?”

“That it just happened.”

He looks up when Will doesn’t respond. Will is looking at him funnily, his eyebrows scrunched together. How did Will expect to come with a good story for a fake relationship? It was like he had said before, that it was a cheesy TV-trope; Nico didn’t want to make it any more unbelievable. How Hazel believed him, he didn’t know. The thought stirs something unpleasant in his gut.

_You just have to make it through the week_ , he tells himself, _then this will just be an embarrassing memory that you will stew on for the rest of your life._

If someone had told his fourteen-year-old self that he would be having delicious pancakes with Will freakin’ Solace, he would have died on the spot with a stupid grin on his face.

But he would never have imagined how awkward he would feel, but he supposes that normal when an old friend read a stupid love letter he should never have written.

Nico takes a sip of coffee, steeling himself. “You can tell her your own story if you want. With Drew or whatever.”

Will takes a moment to think before nodding, “That could work. What about rules?”

“Rules?”

He nods again, “Like PDA and stuff.”

Nico chokes on his pancake and has to pound his chest to dislodge it. He takes the juice Will offers as the couples in the school fly through his mind. He can only picture them shoved against lockers or behind the easels in the art room where he accidentally interrupted Frank and Hazel last year.

“Um-”

Will must read his mind because he blushes red and frantically waves his hands around “No! I mean like hand holding type stuff, not,” if possible he grows redder, “not the snogging stuff.”

“Why do you keep saying ‘snogging’?” Nico says. It’s taking all his will not to cover his face.

“I don’t know! You-”

“How is everything?”

Becca raises an eyebrow at their mumbled ‘good’ and ‘thanks’ before slipping a receipt between them which Will quickly grabs before Nico can even twitch a finger.

Will suddenly looks awful, like he’s regretting agreeing to this nonsense that Nico literally pulled him into. The guilt prompts him to say: “You can do what you want, since, y’know, I kind of accosted you in the hallway. Just, just no making out please.”

“I agree.”

Whatever remains of his fourteen-year-old self hurts at that, that Will wouldn’t want to kiss him like that but then he shoves that part of him in the same tunnel as before.

“How long is this going to go on for?”

“Saturday,” Nico says automatically, “We’ll end it after dinner Friday.” He’s not sure he’d survive any longer and there’s no way in hell he’s going on that ski trip no matter how badly Hazel wants him to. That’s the one thing she can’t make him do with her puppy-dog eyes.

“What about lunch?” Nico looks at Will and realizes the boy looks nervous suddenly.

“What about it?”

 

***

 

_What about it?_

Will suppresses a wince. Nico had always been a little… dense. Not intellectually, no. He had some of the highest grades in their class when he cared but socially he was a little behind. And no one could blame him for that. Even if half of what Nico’s past was true, he had enough excuses to last a lifetime to be a little behind on dating norms.

“Couples usually sit together at lunch but if you don’t want to we don’t have to.” Imagining Nico at the same table with Lou and Cecil sends a shiver down his spine. He’d never survive.

“We don’t have to sit together every day,” Nico says, his nose wrinkled in thought. Will has an inkling Nico doesn’t realize he’s doing it.

“Deal.”

They fall into silence as Will pays for the bill hopefully successfully ignoring Becca’s wink as he holds the door for Nico.

The quiet follows them into the car and Will doesn’t like it. He can respect silence but he’s feeling nervous and he always rambles like no tomorrow when he’s nervous.

But somehow he manages for Nico’s sake. He sits in the passenger seat like he can’t wait to jump out whether the car is moving or not.

And he nearly does when Will squeezes into a parking space in the rapidly filling lot. To his credit though, he waits near the trunk for Will and walks by his side. Suddenly Will doesn’t know what to do with his hands; they just feel like floppy pieces of flesh hanging awkwardly.

With Drew it was easier. She always took the lead. She was the one to grab Will’s hand, the one to pull his arm around her shoulders, and the one to pull him close to kiss, kind of how Nico did the day before.

The yellow envelope stood out from the bills like a neon sign when he grabbed the mail Monday morning. The handwriting wasn’t neat, and he had a niggling that he vaguely recognized it before he spotted the return address.

He had popped the envelope carefully with their decorative letter opener and read the sweetest letter he never dreamed to receive. It was something out of a Jane Austen novel, and when he reached the end, Nico di Angelo’s slanting signature nearly made him drop the letter.

First, he thought it was a cruel joke. Drew had been on edge with him lately and had suspected him of feeling for someone else, but if she had guessed Nico di Angelo, she wouldn’t have failed her last test.

The only thing, _the only thing,_ that convinced him it was from Nico was one line.

It was after spin the bottle years before when Will’s mom was about to pick him up. He didn’t know it at the time but the next day Drew would break up with him and they would start their cycle of an on-off again relationship for way too many years. Every time Lou would beg him not to go back with Cecil nodding behind her but somehow he was always drawn back in only to be surprised when they broke up again a few weeks later.

But he didn’t know that at them time, so he had sought Nico out and told him that he could kiss boys or girls and not to let anyone tell him otherwise.

_You told me I could kiss whoever I wanted. I think you said that because everyone thought I had a crush on Annabeth, but I didn’t. I had a crush on Percy. I didn’t care that Annabeth kissed me, I cared when I kissed you._

Will looks at Nico out of the corner of his eye as they merge into the crowd filling the halls and wonders if there was any part of it that was still true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want Nico and Will POVs or would you rather I just stuck with Nico's?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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